Discovery Net Falls on Scripps Acquisition Charges

Discovery reported lower third-quarter earnings because of about $224 million in charges associated with restructuring following its acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive.

Net income fell to $117 million, or 16 cents a share, from $218 million, or 38 a share. On a pro-forma basis, as if Scripps Networks was part of Discovery a year ago, excluding foreign currency fluctuations, operating income increased 18%, with U.S. networks up 13%.

Revenue rose 57% to $2.592 million, thanks to the transactions involving Scripps Networks, OWN and Motor Trend. Excluding those deals and currency fluctuations, revenue was up 1%, including a 2% gain at its U.S. networks.

David Zaslav

Discovery Inc.

“Our solid third quarter results demonstrate the strength of our brands and unmatched multi-platform distribution network, as we continue to position our broad suite of IP to maximize value and extend our global presence,” said CEO David Zaslav.

"We are very pleased with how far we've come in the eight months since we closed our merger with Scripps Networks, highlighted by the acceleration of synergy generation and strong adjusted OIBDA growth in the third quarter,” Zaslav said. “Additionally, we continue to drive organic growth opportunities across our diverse portfolio, further positioning us for continued cash flow generation and additional value creation. We remain increasingly optimistic about the roadmap ahead of us as we drive forward with our plan to transform our company.”